Kel-Tec PMR-30 – Range Report

The Kel-Tec PMR-30 is a widly popular pistol and supply hasn’t yet caught up with demand, but we can’t hold back the review of this incredible gun indefinately. If you want one, put yourself on a list with your local dealer and eventually you’ll get one.

It is an awkward looking gun that you might ask yourself, “what do I need this for?” Just as a plinker it is a fun gun, but when you really look at the PMR-30 it is great for small game hunting, backpacking, and even self defense.

The PMR-30 comes in a hard case with an two magazines.

You will want to buy more than one box of relatively inexpensive .22WMR. One box wont’ even fill your magazine twice.

But unlike many pistols, once the PMR-30 heats up, you don’t need to worry about accuracy falling away. For this test we started with a hot gun and put 30 rounds rapid fire into the target at 10 yards. Most shots are in less than 2″.

This was a 25 yard group from a previous outing with Winchester Supreme.

Just remember, if your adversary is undead, stick to head shots.

Note the ambidextrous safety, and the heel magazine release for those of you who always ask about left handed versions. Sometimes we wonder if you walk up to hot dog stands and ask if they have a left handed version.

The PMR-30 takes down with a single pin.

Our trigger pull seemed to lighten up over the course of several outings. We recently measured it at just under 4lbs. The break could be more prounounced, but you get a feel for it as you shoot it.

Apparently those four screws are for an optic mount, but we didn’t look into this.

[CLICK HERE FOR THE CARLOS HATHCOCK SCOPE ARTICLE – There was a mistake in the link in today’s email, sorry]

It is amazing that one of the most scarce and in demand pistols today is the Kel-Tec PMR-30. You can’t get one, and many gun dealers have even created sign-up lists for customers to get them as they come in. The PMR-30 isn’t a cheap gun. The MSRP is $415, yet the demand for the PMR-30, after literally years, seems unquenchable. But if I asked you to play word association on guns, and my hint was “plastic 22WMR pistol with orange and green fiber optic sights and a 30 round magazine,” what would you say? Nothing, right? Nothing comes to mind. So what on earth is this gun for? That’s the point. The PMR-30 is for just about everything.

We first got this gun in for review over a year ago and we have been afraid to publish a review because of the negative comments about Kel-Tec not being able to produce enough of them. By now we figured that the demand would catch up, but that is not the case. You can’t blame Kel-Tec though. They have steadily increased manufacturing capacity over the last two years, but there is an unprecedented demand for their guns. Any faster and they would have to compromise quality control, which is unacceptable. Demand has only increased during that time for the PMR-30, as well as all of their pocket guns, the .223 rifles and pistols, Sub-2000, RFB, and the KSG. This speaks volumes for the company mission of Kel-Tec. Put yourself on the list and eventually you’ll get a PMR-30, at a normal price. A lot of people have already commented on our KSG article that they have been able to get them for MSRP, and the PMR-30 is rarely priced over normal retail price.

Our test gun has now been shot repeatedly with dozens of shooters of the course of the last year or so and it has never failed to fire with just about every brand of .22WMR available. It seems to like the Hornady 30 grain V-Max the best, but the 45 grain Critical Defense has been close in accuracy. Inexpensive range ammo from Federal, Winchester, Fiocchi and CCI at less than $10 a box has been almost as accurate, and perfectly acceptable for most jobs you might find for the PMR-30.

That list, of what the gun is good for, is as long as any pistol we have ever tested. It is perfect for small game hunting and as a truck or under the front seat gun. For self defense, the nearly recoil free PMR-30 is ideal for small framed shooters and especially the elderly who can’t handle any recoil, and can’t rack the slide on a regular semi-auto handgun. One round of .22WMR is devastating. Thirty should just about do the trick if someone crashes through your front door in the middle of the night. It is a slightly awkward gun to handle because of the thick grip, but once you get used to it the feeling is very intuitive. We have had several women with small hands shoot the gun and not one have complained that it didn’t fit them.

Perhaps the most unique job for the PMR-30 is as a ranch gun. Just yesterday Dwayne Powell, our resident guide at Kissimee River Hunt & Fish, shot the gun for the first time. His reaction was “this gun could save my life.” He doesn’t always carry a rifle on his hunts with clients because, between blinds, seats, callers, and other gear, there is just too much to carry. This little PMR-30 will most likely stop a charging hog or gator in a pinch, and with 30 rounds there is plenty of room in the magazine to miss a few on a moving target. You can practice shooting at moving targets on the range, but there is nothing like the tunnel vision and adrenaline of facing a charging deadly animal in real life. Moving faster than you might think they can, the more times you can miss a charging killer and still have more bullets in the magazine, the better. Things don’t always go the way you think they should.

What is truly incredible about the PMR-30 is its accuracy over the course of the 30 round magazine with a hot gun. It gets boring showing a five round group for most pistols. Guns are so good now that most are pretty close when it comes to accuracy on a cold gun. Heat the gun up and try the same test and more than not you will find that the same gun sprays bullets into a much wider circle. But on the PMR-30, you can put magazine after magazine through the gun and it will hold its groups and shoot to the same point of aim. You see here that just yesterday we put over 200 rounds through our test gun then shot a 30 round target with it still hot. Most shots fell into a 2 inch ragged hole at ten yards. That is incredible.

One thing you may not like about the gun is that the sights are not at all adjustable, except for a drift-able dovetail in the front. Our test gun shot a little low at 10 yards, but it is centered to point of aim. This was with the Hornady 30 grain V-Max. In prior outings, at 25 yards, similar testing has been more centered to point of aim. When you get your PMR-30, like any fixed sight gun, you’ll have to see where it shoots and get used to adapting your point of aim for the ammo you plan to use.

Other details you might want to know about the PMR-30 are that it weighs under 14 ounces empty and about 20 ounces full. Our test gun had a trigger pull around 4 pounds and breaks clean, but could have a little more of a tactile stop before it fires if you want to be picky. The magazine release is in the heel, not a button. The action on the gun is unique and automatically adjusts itself to the ammo between locked breech and straight blowback. This is probably why some ammo came out more accurate than others. The safety is ambidextrous and uses the 1911 style up/safe, down/fire. It takes down for cleaning with a single pin.

It is hard to do an article on a gun that is difficult to get here at GunsAmerica Magazine & Blog. We currently email over 600,000 subscribers, and though the PMR-30 is a widely known gun, more people are going to know about it now. A lot of you are going to want it and won’t be able to get it right away, but don’t worry, the PMR-30 doesn’t need impulse buyers. It is a timelessly good gun and will be around for a long time. Kel-Tec will eventually find a way to meet the demand, and all of our safe’s with then have a PMR-30 for plinking, small game hunting, and even self defense and out on the ranch. This is a great gun, and if you can find one, grab it. No, ours is not for sale. 😉

I finally found my PMR about a year ago at $499. This was a decent price given the lack of availability.

I have been researching the .22 WMR as a defensive cartridge. Until recently, there was little in the way of comparison for defensive purposes. This is changing, however.

There is a growing number of ballistics gelatin tests available on Youtube. Also, more of the firearms publications have begun to seriously consider the defensive capabilities of the cartridge. Likewise, manufacturers such as Hornady have begun to produce .22 WMR for optimum performance from short barreled firearms, such as the NAA pocket revolvers, standard revolvers and the PMR.

The data is showing that the current generation of higher performance .22 WMR ammunition is flat out nasty.

I have seen gelatin tests that demonstrate the power of this emerging performance ammo. The penetration at handgun range is equivalent to that of .380 ammunition optimized for self defense also. Likewise, the reliability of the current generation .22 WMR is well beyond what you would expect even ten years ago.

Where the .22 WMR is effective from a short barrel revolver, it is downright devastating from the slightly longer barrel of the PMR. The addition of the 30 rounds capacity makes the PMR second to none for defensive purposes. When combined with performance defensive ammunition – such as Hornady Critical Defense – there simply is no better home defense system that you can deploy.

Especially if you live in an apartment or condo.

It simply does not matter what caliber you deploy – if you cannot control the firearm in a critical defense situation you have already lost the fight. In a culture where we shoot “to stop the threat” and shoot center mass, the PMR offers a capacity that truly gives a formerly unknown edge to the potential violent crime victim. Likewise, the 30 round capacity is a potent round, yet with an extremely low risk of over penetration.

My PMR was manufactured post recall, and I have experienced no feed or firing issues. The recoil is non-existent also. For those with nerve issues in their extremities, or strength issues, this is a genuine gift. Also, the slight differences in the magazine design have made high capacity, semi-automatic .22 WMR a reality. Hopefully, Kel-Tec will complete the work on the forth coming PMR rifle.

In short, the PMR is now one of my favorite handguns. I have enough research and practical experience to know that I can indeed trust my PMR if my life depended on it. In situation where I find that additional magazines are problematic, my PMR has the capacity to make it a first choice for carry – be it for CCW or vehicle carry.

On a different note – the up close and personal examination of the “plasticness” of the PMR revealed that it is radically different in appearance, feel, durability and “solidness” than it’s family members.

In person, it is nowhere as “chessy” as you might expect. It “feels” just as solid as it really is when you fire it. If you have issues with “toy guns”, you will be pleasantly surprised when you hold one now – especially since Kel-Tec corrected the issues present in the first generation of PMR’s.

Yes, I would own a second PMR. I am patient when it comes to waiting for one, but knowing what I know now, I would have no issues going as high as $550 for one. I do feel that they are worth even more, but the market as a whole cannot justify more than the $550. In a market free world, the newer PMR’s could justify a $600 price tag.

(the market being everything taken into consideration – from competitor offerings, ammunition improvements, portability of the PMR compared to equivalent handguns, etc.)

Bottom line – if you can get your hands on a new PMR in the $500 range – do it without question. Even if you don’t need it for defense, you will have a seriously enjoyable sport shooting pistol. What the .22 WMR can do to cans, bottles and exploding targets is nothing less than epic!

I just bought a used PMR-30 a few weeks ago and I like it. I have been shooting hand guns for about two years now. Been shooting rifles all my life and I like hand guns better. The pmr30 has a report similar to a 9mm but no recoil. I have put about 400 rounds through it with only two failure to load and one stovepipe which is great seeing how I was using cheap ammo (notCCI). It is light weight but the oversize grip makes up for it. I have four semi autos and three are mostly composite material and after some use I have gotten used to the lite feel. Lets face it composite material is the future for handguns. It seems very accurate, it’s fun to shoot, ammo is reasonably priced and it’s easy to clean. What more could you ask for?

Thanks guys for the updates and info on the PMR30. I have been on the list for THREE YEARS. I am staying on the list because I am No.1 Dont know how the retailer/dealer/supplier/priority works but the USMC Yuma is last on somebodys list.

I have one of the early PMR30’s and it is a really fun gun to shoot. It makes a big boom like a larger caliber gun but hardly has any recoil. It does give you a nice fireball however. When I first got mine it jammed like crazy but after reading the manual on how to load the magazine it is much better. After reading all the improvements on the newer guns, I sent mine back and Kel-tec virtually rebuilt it from the ground up. I think the only thing original I got back was the inner frame with the serial number on it. The fit and finish on the replacement was much better and it now is also very accurate and reliable. While I would not want to count on this gun stop a charging hog, I suspect that a nice solid point cci maxi mag would do some major damage on a head shot. The nice thing is that the trigger pull is very short and smooth and you can really fire this thing very fast. Faster in fact than I can with my 10-22 ruger. With low recoil and light weight it is easy to double, tripple and quad tap the rounds into a tight group. It is very flat and light in weight and fits into a glock 17 holster nicely. I put a cheap rail mount laser on mine and it makes the fixed sights more workable. A red dot sight would be the ticket for this gun and it is on my wish list. If I could just stop shooting it so much, I might be able to afford the sight. You will go through a lot of ammo and 22mag isnt cheap or easy to find these days.

Amen to the “go through a lot of ammo” brother but it is cheaper to shoot than a 9mm. You can get a hundred rounds of 22mags for what it costs for 20 to 50 rounds of 9mm. The PMR30 is a fun gun to shoot.

After a year on waiting lists, I got tired of waiting and bought my new in the box PMR-30 at an on line auction. Given that I saw one recently (Dec., 2012) go for $900 I got my for less than 2/3 of that price. Out of the first magazine I had two FTL which was my problem because I was not patient in loading the magazine as they recommend tapping the rounds in place. Once I slowed down and loaded the magazines correctly I may have had 1 or no more than 2 no FTL in the next several hundred rounds. I may have experienced a few key holes out of first 100 rounds against paper targets at 10 – 20 yards; it is hard to tell since a lot of rounds went nearly through the same holes. With respect to the magazine’s 30 round capacity I found the first 25 rounds are easy to load and it takes some effort to get the last 5 rounds in. So l quit at 25 and with the two magazines furnished I have 50 rounds ready to go at all times. I also like the noise and flash coming out of the business end. It has to be pretty scary to who or whatever is in front of it. l am comfortable carrying this light weight (which I consider a plus) PMR-30 loaded with 25 magnum rounds which can be fired in less than a minute easily and accuracy against anything I am likely to encounter on the trail in this country . If you want to carry large caliber cannon this gun is not for you, but there a reason why Kel-Tec’s PMR-30’s are so hard to come by, in spite of its critics, they are lots of fun to use.

I’m not entirely sure why everybody rips on Keltec or why certain people have so many problems with their products, but as an owner of the SU16, PLR16, P32, PF9, RFB, and lately the PMR30, the ONLY problems I have EVER had with any of them is that some are finicky on types of ammo. I stick to CCI, Winchester, Remmy, and the regular common types. S&B wont cycle in some, Keltec even states not to use steel case, and their customer service is awesome! Ive dealt with Ruger and S&W and some others but Keltec’s CS is far beyond above any of them. It’s funny how everybody jokes that I sometimes carry my 32, yet nobody volunteers to get shot to prove my point! Lmao. Anywhos just my 2 cents.

I just recently purchased a a Kel Tec PMR 30 and I love the gun. Now lets get real. If I were hog hunting I will carry my 45 cal but I am now carrying the Kel Tec too. Folks, I am not implying anyone is lying or stretching the truth but in the real world people lie all the time about anything and everything. I have heard about UFO’s,big foot and the ohh so common “black panther” and even ghosts. Well……again people lie. OK too harsh? OK How about this….people also embellish and exaggerate at a speed faster than a speeding bullet…even faster than the speed of light. If it’s human…if it opens it’s mouth…..it’s lying. Nuff said. I gotta see it to believe it…and then I will question myself.

I just happened to walk into my local small gunshop as they were putting a PMR 30 in the display case, only second one up to that point they had received. Mine also likes 30 grain bullets best. This is actually an expensive gun since it eats huge quantities of ammo before you know what has happened. I would not recommend for a self defense gun because it does jam once in a while but it sure is fun to shoot. I like it a lot.

I picked one of these things up a few weeks ago. I thought it would be good company while on the back forty. With 30 rounds at the ready in a handgun yotes and groundhogs should have been endangered on my spread. Nope there is a huge design flaw in the POS. I can’t draw the pistol and shoot it or even pick it up and shoot it. I lock my hand around it and the mag falls out leaving me with a light weight club. No more KT for me.

I have shot alot of gators with the same round and from a old revolver and old rifle as for hogs they are mean but anything with die if you hit it correctly. Seen deer and hogs killed by the round but your better up a tree if any animal charges then shot it. People don’t understand many subsistant hunter user smaller rifles and poachers doe to we caught some and they had .22 long rifle pistols and had killed a large buck on our land with the guns. Hell i saw on tv wher a guiy killed a dam moose with a high powered .177 pellet rifle after two shots it fell over from internal bleeding and they arrested the idiot then put down its two baby moose. I like the AMT .22 mag its will last 100 years with care.

Recently purchased a PMR 30 and am extremely satisfied. Took a bit of practice in loading the mags. Had 2 FTF out of 150 rounds and tapping mags to ensure seating seemed to take the problem away. Light comfortable and a joy to shoot. Who would have thought you could make a 30 round mag that wasn’t bulky and too big to grip. Definately in my bob and plenty of ammo.It has found a home like my SU2000 !

If your one of the unlucky people that bought a PMR-30 then you know how much of a piece of junk they are. I don’t want to hear all the bla bla bla and excuses people are making for these things. Kel-Tec is really turning out to be a joke of a company and it doesn’t matter how good the customer service is if its junk they are selling. I bought a new PMR 30 2 days ago 9-25-2012 and right out of the box this thing is nothing but dangerous! There is no way to tell where the bullets are going to go when they come out of the barrel tumbling! I was shooting at a 2′ square box at 10′ and missing!! When i finally did hit they were keyholes!! I went thru 3 different good brands of shells with the same outcome!! This is suppose to be the updated version??? Come on Kel-tec get it together!! Also the PF9 i bought new wouldn’t chamber a round from the clip, had to order a replacement piece!! I have bought 3 Kel-Tec guns new and 2 of them didn’t work out of the box, 1 of them i repaired and the PMR-30 can’t be repaired cause KEL-TEC has been screwing around with the design of the barrel for 3 years now and its clear they don’t know how to fix it but they keep shipping them!! If you give the PMR-30 a good review then its clear that you like making excuses to make something seem to work. I just hope that if someone uses this for home defense that a loved one is not close by cause who knows where this thing will shoot.

I’ve been an ardent fan of the .22 magnum round for nearly 30 years, however, it does have a few drawbacks, especially if considering it for self defense. ALL .22 rimfire cartridges misfire more frequently than centerfire. Some of the PMR 30’s have had a reputation for jamming (not good). Personally, I would go for a Beretta 92FS with 30 rd. 9mm personal protection rounds and also buy a Beretta CX4 STORM 9mm Carbine which uses the SAME CLIPS as the 92 series 9mm’s. It is unbelievably accurate and much more accurate than that PMR 30 at distances of 100-200 yds. You can also suppress the 9MM round (Fiocci 158 grain 9mm round). If the SHTF which would you be more comfortable carrying, a 22 mag pistol that can misfire or a solidly built Italian Ferrari of firearms build by Beretta. NO CONSTEST!

Just bought one last night for $319 plus shipping. I think the total was $343. Kel-tec rotates delivery to their distributors and a few guns leak out to small retail on-line. They are out there, you just have to look.

I have fired more than 300 rounds through mine without a hickup. I use the cheapest ammo I can find: Winchester Dynapoint 45 grain. The PMR30 likes them just fine. No need to try anything else. It is a VERY accurate pistol. I paid $335.00 for a new one at a local Sports Shop. Somebody told me the .22mag has more punch than a .38, but I didn’t check that out.

I picked one up yesterday after scouring the surrounding 200 miles. I paid $539 (too much) but only after negotiating down from $699!! I haven’t had the chance to fire it yet but let me say that I had NO problem loading 30 rnds. into the magazine. Hopefully the other issues mentioned will be as much of a non-issue as this one. Looking forward to putting this one through its paces.

No problems with the gun? I’ve seen the frame of these literally cracked in half on the past two that have gone out…….I would consider that a problem, especially considering they were being shot with Hornady/Speer .22 WMR short barrell ammo.

have owned my pmr30 for two years now. trouble with one mag replaced quicklyby keltec . gun is fussy on a’mmo quality . best rounds to date cci 40grhp rem33accutip hornady30vmax all very accurate. easy to clean. used for target . ground hogs . coy dogs great gun for moving targets 22wmrhp is a devastating round. wifey or myself always carry it on camping & hiking trips very lite. I really enjoy this gun so do most of the family . worth waiting for.

I’ve tried to buy this gun since it was first introduced and every gun dealer bad-mouthed it saying the same rumored problem of not cycling/ejecting! I’m so glad to have all that put to rest and get back on track to finding what I believe to be another awesome Kel-Tec innovation. Kel-Tec, thank you!

I am a dealer and have had “customers” on the this pistol’s wish list for over two years (possibly longer…) I now continually steer all customers away from this brand of any firearm now and probably for the foreseeable future. I’ve had to send back 9 of the last 10 firearms to the wholesaler due to this manufacturer’s “defective” units. Thank goodness this particular middleman backs all their sales with a 100 percent guarantee (no questions asked – see their ads in the ShotGun News). Until this manufacturer gets it’s proverbial “crap” together, without any significant “RECALLS” of any of its products, I’ll steer away from ALL their products – no matter how many glowing, range reports from anyone…

22 WMG is way too fast a round to sensibly suppress. Why turn a hot round like the .22 magnum into a wimpy .22 Long Rifle by weighing it down and slowing its speed? Simple buy a .22 Long Rifle which takes a suppressor (costs $500.00 plus $200 for the Govt Tax and put it into a GUN TRUST). You can use the same suppressor on your threaded .22 rifle too. Great fun!!! I did just that.

I really enjoy reading this blog but from time to time I question it’s credibility. No way in hell this thing is able to stop (maybe annoy) a hog or a gator. I hope this Administrator guy was joking and we are all the fools for believing he was serious. That is the case, right?

No, with a skilled shooter and an accurate weapon a .22WMR, even through a pistol length gun, will kill anything in the woods with the right shot placement, with one round. 30 rounds of .22WMR will completely destroy anything in the woods.

As for the veracity of our stuff, look carefully at the actual content of 99% of the “reviews” online. Very few people people and entities are actually out shooting guns. Even the print mags are printing little more than exaggerated press releases these days, because ammo is so expensive and they don’t have the budget to pay a writer and for ammo and expenses. Like anyone out really testing things, we have an occasional mistake about a minor detail, but generally the only other people out actually testing products are discussion board people, and rarely do they have pictures to back up what they actually claim to have done. Startups come and go, and some of them do actually have knowledgeable shooters, but very few. We would hire them if there were genuine workers out there who have the depth and breadth of knowledge of our writers. GunsAmerica is the most involved and knowledgeable gun review material online today, and you will not find anything more thorough in print, online, or anywhere.

Fair enough. Many people (like myself from time to time) might misunderstand your claim that it could stop a boar or gator.

As for GA reviews and articles, the reason I read this blog is because I got sick of print magazines giving obvious favoritism to crappy products because they advertise in thier magazines. I respect what GA does because it’s clear you guys are out there running products through their paces and it seems to be written by enthusiasts rather than an employee. Keep up the good work and don’t worry about making mistakes from time to time. I have seen some pretty stupid claims in even the biggest (not naming names) magazines out there. thanks

Again, read this article and check out the photo of the 1/4″ thick aluminum plate. The round offers great penetration, at the higher speeds made possible by longer barrels. The HAA Black Widow probably won’t match that penetration, nor would I expect the Speer low-powered Gold Dot .22 Mag made for short-barreled handguns.

I had an older man tell me once we were wasting money shooting hogs in the pen with a 22,saying it could be done with an air rifle lost 20 bucks when he shot a 100 pound hog with a benjimin air riffle.1 shot dead pig

Was pining for one of these guns and found one one day by chance ,in a local small gunstore, that had just arrived. The owner was aware of the demand for these pistols but only asked list price, a testament to his charactor. This was only the second one he has ever received. This pistol has grey stocks and a round barrel which supposedly is the answer to the keyholing problem some have encountered. My first impression was that it really looked like a child’s star wars toy pistol. However, looks can be deceiving and this pistol is a lot of fun to shoot. In the evening it produces an impressive fireball from the muzzle. I am getting along in years and really appreciate the very visible sights. As was noted by another my pistol likes 30 grain Hornady v-max being reliable and accurate. I ordered an extra magazine from Kel-tec and returned a defective one for a replacement. Keltec has very good customer service and the replacement magazine came promptly. No problem with any magazines loading all 30 rounds, but you need to follow the manuel that came with gun and tap the rounds as instructed. Perhaps the gentleman having loading problems has defective magazines. Also some magazines are for States that do not allow 30 rounds. I trade a lot of guns but will be keeping this one! Hang in there, the wait to get one will be well worth it

One of my customers sold me his – unfired. He couldn’t rack the slide and could only load about 20 rounds. I got it 6 months ago for what he paid $285. I found it seems to shoot all ammo pretty well. I’ve had bulk pack Remington, Winchester, Federal and normal sized boxes of CCI and Winchester. I have pretty good confidence in it as a carry weapon but have experienced some loading failures. Mine is a great little shooter and much more accurate than I expected. I just replaced it as a carry gun with my “new” 62 year old $200 Polish Tokharev.

As to the hog, I much prefer my S&W .460 – 1 and done and effective on bears too. I wouldn’t put my life in jeopardy with a PMR versus a hog. The one in the video looked to be in the 150 to 200 pound range and it took a full clip to keep the hog down with nothing left to finish him. Hogs are like ex wives – mean and nasty temperament and they never give up!

The guy in the video was supposed to be using a 45 cal 1911. I noticed his aim was part of the problem. The reason I say this is I saw where he almost shot off one of the hogs hind legs (look at the video again). The only head shot was the last one and it didn’t look like it was anywhere near a kill spot. If you have time to make a good shot a 22 mag will drop a hog that is not too far away.

I have one with a new barrel and new sights. would not trade it for any other gun. I can’t wait for the auto rifle to come out. Hve put 1000 rds thru it and no trouble. I have #88 out of the first 100.

Owned a Grendel, the gun this was based on back in the day, flipped it for double what I paid, much like the 5.7 pistol the grip was too big to fit my hands, and it was pretty much a novelty then, and now.

Luckily, we don’t have many gators or charging hogs where we are located, I guess I am lucky (Eyes are rolling at 3000 RPM here…..) that I don’t have a NEED for this pistol.

Especially seeing that we may have men on Mars before they become commonly available from KT, and then, if the trigger system doesn’t fail………well, you’ll find out.

I have killed 6+ hogs (full grown) with a single 22 long rifle head shot. Shot placement was into the front of the skull into the brain. All fell in the spot they were shot and were paralyzed. Hogs were in a pen.

Nice gun—- impresses everyone who sees and/or fires it. Paid more than list price. No problems feeding or ejecting. The trigger is so smooth and easy that I keep the safety on whenever I’m not firing downrange. That’s something I don’t feel the need to do with my other guns. My one complaint is that I’ve never been able to get more than 15 rounds in the either of the two magazines. The first ten rounds load okay, after that it’s a fight. People keep telling me it may get easier “someday”. Well, not yet (after the first year) People say that Kel-Tec doesn’t have the fine finish of some other guns, but it doesn’t have the high price either. And the gun works great, and has a lifetime guarantee, so what’s not to like? Get out the polishing compound and make the gun your own!

I have one purchased through a GA vendor sometime back. It does shoot accurately and with little recoil, but I have a great deal of FTF problems in the magazines. One functions well as long as no more than 18 are loaded. The second mag has jammed with as few as 6 in it. Neither will discharge a full 30 rounds with out a jam. It is not gun I am sure. I have followed all the instructions about tapping the mags etc, but to no avail. I have even taken the mags apart, cleaned and lubbued with teflon spray. That helped slightly but the feed is still un reliable I have run 400 rounds through it.

George, I had similar problems with two mag’s and Kel-Tec gladly replaced them. What I did find is the two I sent back seemed to have much stronger springs. It seems that the weaker springs allowed the cartridges to pass into the chamber easier. Just my impression. I have four mags now and they work pretty well. Every so often there will be a FTF or partial jam.

The megadealer here in Jacksonville Fl gets them occasionally and adds $300-400 mark up. I have my name on waiting lists at a number of dealer’s websites, and have yet to hear from any of them. I’m patient. By the way, has anyone ever seen the carbine version (RMR-30) anywhere other than in a picture?

the comment about ruger being able to keep up with sales demand made me laugh. anyone tried to buy a mark III “hunter” stainless with a 4.5 in fluted barrel? ruger won’t even allow the dealers i asked to order any because they are so back ordered.

`I bought my PMR-30 at auction and overpaid for it but after a year I was tired of waiting to get one at MSRP. I love it! Its accuracy is fabulous, no recoil, the light weight is unbelievable (its like holding an empty plastic water pistol) grip, trigger pull, safety, magazine release, sights everything works and I think it looks beautiful. As to its unreliability, based on my experience that is totally crap. In my first several hundred rounds I had two failures to load and zero failure to fire. I will admit loading the double magazine is a little tricky at first which accounted for my two FTL. The capability of this weapon to easily and accurately get off 25 to 30 rounds in about 25 seconds is the main reason I bought it. I found I can get 25 rounds into the magazine easily, loading more than 25 for me was difficult. So, I carry only 25 rounds in my gun and have another loaded 25 round magazine at my finger tips. I can’t imagine many things that I will encounter that I can’t stop with 50 rounds of 22 WMR Jacketed Hollow Point rounds. If even 25 WMR rounds won’t do it I guess I am in deep dodo. I love having 25 rounds available for rapid fire. I can afford to miss a couple of times and still do a lot of damage. As to the objection that the PMR-30 can’t handle a wide variety of ammo, that’s true. Kel-Tec packs a slip in their case warning the buyer not to try to use foreign or non-standard ammo. This gun also doesn’t do any caliber rounds larger than .22, so what? My PMR-30 loves the CCI 22 WMR HP rounds that I buy for it which are readily available at Wal-Mart, and most stores that carry ammo. Overall, do I recommend the PMR-30? For Rhino hunting, no; for nearly everything else, definitely yes.

I been looking for a new PMR30 for some time now but, just like some of the other post I’m going to wait til their available again and not be gouge at gun shows or dealers for 3X’s their vaule. I do appreciate the education we get from First Class Company’s such as Gun’s of America and we shouldnt take it for granted.

i put my name in the hat about a year ago and have not heard of any coming in. a friend finally got his after about 6 mo. of wait time. he loves his as i am sure i will if i ever get one. i’d like to get one before hillary and obumma gets all firearms sales stopped. it would be really handy to have for the coming revolution.

I’ve owned this gun now for a little over a year. I have added a mounting bracket and Burris Surefire red dot. I paid $450 from a private party who had one that was never fired. This gun is just a blast to shoot. I run CCI ammo available at my local WalMart for $8.95/box. I have this gun for shooting entertainment only. I never load more than 25 rounds per mag which is perfect for me with 4 mags. Shoot 100 rounds through this little gem and you’re sure to put a big smile on your face! You will receive more compliments shooting this gun then you will shooting almost anything else at the range. anything that shoots a 12 inch flame out of the barrel and a very loud along with it is bound to turn heads. I have had a couple of issues with mag’s not feeding properly and a barrel that had some internal scoring. All of these issues were taken care of by Kel-Tec and their amazing customer service department. I sent the barrel to them on a Friday and received the replacement on Tuesday! I don’t think this will be a reliable self defense gun or big game hunting gun. I can’t speak to the stopping power of a 22 mag traveling at 1800 feet per second. I will say that the gun does have it’s issues with feeding. Stacking those 22 mag bullets in the magazine and the way they overlap the rim, there will bound to be some feeding issues. So for the fun factor ABSOLUTELY, for self defense I think the jury is still out.

I have purchased two PMR 30’s for $450 each (updated non-fluted barrel version). Mounted a Viridian XL Light and Green Laser on the one for adult daughter. She reports she shoots tight groups with or without the laser. On mine I mounted a Burris Fastfire II and it shoots where the red dot goes is placed out to 30 yds with pinp point precision. I tried varying rounds for both and the one that functions “almost” 99% flawlessly is the Remington 22 Win Mag 40 GR. JHP (R22M1). I buy it in bulk. My favorite 22WMR round is the Winchester JHP but it the pistol fits with cycling. As far as hogs vs. 22WMR. I have taken every size hog with an old 22 WMR Marlin bolt rifle with most shots in the head but some in the lung area behind the front shoulder. Got one sow hog (125lbs) this past year with PMR 30 head shot from bout 10yds with Rem round mentioned above. One shot. Pig in freezer.

If they wanted to meet demand for these guns it’s called build another line. Quality won’t suffer if they build it into the line, and demand is strong enough to justify the cost. Why would a company not want to increase capacity to meet demand and increase sales? Perhaps a poor design? or fear of competition. Thanks for the article. I bet Ruger could build a similar gun and meet demand!

I own a custom shop, we make just about anything someone can dream up. When I first heard about the pmr 30 I was curious so I reached out to kel-Tec must have been in 2010 or 11 I can’t recall. The serial number tells me a great deal, it was the 7th gun ever made. When I ran the gun thru the paces there were issues many mentioned here, so I went to work on it. The results were nothing short of outstanding. One of the changes was the barrel, accuracy problem solved. Kel-Tex never expected so many of their firearms to be in such high demand. They are sticking to their mission to build a unique product line and keep costs low if they went out and had to invest 50 million on a giant factory their prices would soar it would have to. I read all the comments about poor accuracy, which is not the case, 50 percent of firearm accuracy is shooter failure not the firearm, and then you got the guy that goes in and buys it and runs straight out and feeds a hundred reds thru it as fast as they possible can, if you don’t take the time to season a barrel properly it can make any gun that is capable of sub Moa groups at 50 yards a turd that could make a 10″ pattern at 50ft. As far as durability I spend 6 months a year as a operator for XE, most people know it best by its old name. “Blackwater” For almost 5 years I’ve carried the pmr thru some of the most brutal environments known to man, I use a custom thigh rig on both legs, they weigh almost nothing so no weight to slow me down, I keep 6 magazines in my tax vest ready to go 180 rds and it weighs less than 10 pounds. I can assure any doubters this weapon, launching a screaming 40gr load will stop anything, or anyone trying to do you harm. So light weight dead on accurate and makes life easier especially since a custom made 50cal auto is the rifle I have to drag around the sand and another 100 rds of ammo. I’ve bet my life on the pmr and its saved my life countless times. Ok that was super long sorry just thought people would like to know its field proven and now many other contractors are carrying them too, this gun is a yes anyway you break it down.

The gun is so far one of the most reliable weapons I have, bar none! As far as not functioning on certain ammo, Keltec does recommend that you stick to the heavier bullet grains. I took it to the range on a company shoot last week and between 5-10 different shooters ran multiple clips through it and no failures after a couple of hundred rounds. The weapon hits were you point it and will chuck out the rounds as fast as you can pull the trigger !! This is the gun left out for my teenage daughter when she is home alone and believe me if something comes through the door there are two clips making for 60 rounds of smack down on the other side waiting !! I trust it for her safety!
Thanks Keltec !!

i have a kel-tec pmr30.bought it,cleaned it,shot one clip through it,cleaned it after shooting it and put it back in it’s case.it’s a really cool gun and was a blast (literally an awesome sounding report!) to shoot. it seems these guns are continually on backorder,as mine was before i finally got mine,and some of the asking prices i’ve seen in the past make it tempting to considering selling mine to someone who is tired of waiting for one to become available. if you’re that someone, you can contact me at :1-406-687-3738 (montana). i’d prefer to sell, but would consider a possible trade if you have something i might be interested in. (i rarely use the computor and am not familiar with the proper protocol concerning blog i occaisionally have read. if posting this notice hase been innapropriate,i apologize.

I too was interested in this pistol, but I had heard some not so wonderful remarks on the gun. I don’t know if they are true, but would sure like to find out. 1) First problem was that you could not get 30 rds. into the mag. 2) another dealer told me that they were having troubles with barrel bursting. This does not sound like some thing a sales person would say, unless they were really a possible danger.

My local gun dealer was able to get 3 PMR’s this year and I had put myself on the list for 2 and received them. I have talked to other dealers who can’t get them and find that some of them say Kel-Tec is having problem with them key holing and other issues which is the problem with getting them. From what I have found this is B.S. This is a awesome firearm. I recently told someone that it was a “sweet pistol” and my wife looked at me and said “you said that with more affection than you do to me sometimes”, damn I love that woman. But those of you waiting, don’t give up – you will get one one day and it is really a “sweeeeeet” gun.

I love mine! It’s the most fun gun in my safe. Mine is VERY picky when it comes to ammo. Remington Premiere is best. Speer Gold Dot hollow points work really well. Too expensive for a day at the range, but for defense think about 30 rounds of .22 mag hollow points. It’s laser beam accurate with no kick.

Am impressed if the Kel-Tec automatic will feed the WMR reliably, due to case length … and expansion. (In a Ruger single-six convertible, the WMR cases sometimes require a firm push on the ejector rod.) What is the barrel length and what is the velocity of the WMR coming out the end? Have always liked the WMR in the Ruger, however, it has a 6 1/2 inch barrel. At what barrel length in a handgun does the WMR begin to compare to a regular .22 long rifle cartridge?

I have a PMR 30 and while it is accurate and I love shooting it, Ive decided not to use it as a carry gun. It just isnt reliable enough. The gun jams on almost any ammo that is not 40 grain. CCI maxi mags 40gr seems to work best for plinking. The gun becomes inoperable with 30gr of any kind. Kel Tec has had to change and reissue new barrels to cure keyholing problems.

I do not have enough confidence in this gun to use it as an every day carry. It does make a good truck or car gun and a fun range gun, but, unfortunately, it will never be on my hip.

the shame of the matter is you say $415msrp one of the major vendors sells this gun for $299 but of course are out of stock and I like alot of others wan’t this gun I found 2 at tampa gunshow 1 $575 the other $699 its time to stop buying from the gougers at the gunshows I’ll wait till they are available again can not wait to get my hands on 1

Just bought one this weekend at a gun show in Bloomington/Normal Illinois. It was marked at $530 Brand new. I immediately purchased it. It was the only one at the whole show and supposedly it was the largest show in Illinois. If $420 is retail, and they are like impossible to get, plus they have a super high demand,I will pay $530 for as many as i can get. I pulled it out earlier today, and was highly impressed with its accuracy. It was extremely accurate upon rapid fire. It sounded like a 9mm round and had a real nice flash coming out of it. This pistol rocks! It is super light with a full clip in it and was really fun to shoot.

I finally found one here (NW IL) for $420. Mine also groups a little low and to the right. It’s a lot of fun to shoot and although .22WMR is pretty cheap, I can go though a lot of it in a hurry with the 30 round (I split a box of ammo betwenn the two) mags. After about 5 or 600 rounds the takedown pin broke. I hear this is still a common problem but I know KT will send one out right away. I had a loose sight on my P-11 and they sent me a whole set within a week. This is a great little pistol and I’m glad I got it even though I paid a little more than I would have liked.

“This little PMR-30 will most likely stop a charging hog or gator in a pinch,” I would like to hear from someone who has actually shot a hog (charging or not) or a gator with a .22WMR round to hear how effective it is on such targets.

i use a grendel which is basically gen 1 of this gun. If head shot many a hog (in a pin) @ 15 yard and dropped them with 1 shot. we have a big hog problem in Louisiana, so we setup round pins bate them go out the next morning and dispatch the hog, usually quarter them up and get to local homeless shelter.

“I would like to hear from someone who has actually shot a hog (charging or not) or a gator with a .22WMR round to hear how effective it is on such targets.”

I was thinking the same thing especially a .22WMR fired from a (relatively) short barreled pistol. When someone makes a statement like that -which in my esteemed (to me, anyway) experience- is obviously based on a lack of experience with charging hogs, it impugns the overall credibility of the article. What exactly is the author advocating: that this pistol is a good hog hunting gun? A good gator hunting gun? Or is it’s effectiveness somehow magnified when a hog or a gator is “charging” you and you start spraying bullets all over the place and need 30 in case 29 of them go off target -?

Other statements from the article such as the quote “This gun could save my life.” are effectively worthless even if basically true since there is little to no validation for how THIS gun could save your life which implies THAT other gun might not save your life.

I’m reminded of the line from the old David Carradine flick CIRCLE OF IRON/SILENT FLUTE in which his character whips out the doozy “A fish once saved my life.” and answers the question “How?” with “I ate him.”

Yes, I have no doubt thus gun COULD save someone’s life…just like an old single shot, bolt-action rifle that shoots .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle COULD save someone’s life. So?

Strange things happen. I shot a deer graveyard dead with an H&R revolver with a .22 short hollow point at about 60 yards. I am not a good shot, it was a lucky one. Killed a small deer with a pellet gun one time at about 7 yards. These are true stories. Sometimes I wonder about a missed .45 round or 10 well placed .22 LR or .22 magnum shells.My weapon of choice is a claymore mine. I would never shoot to kill an intruder. I would like to wound him into submission, then beat him to death with a baseball bat while we were making eye contact. Airborne to the bone.

No effin way, would I trust a .22 to stop a charging HOG, if you have the alligator tied up and have enough time to aim for the perfect shot behind his skull, this is how they are hunted by pro’s but not average joe’s. Here’s a charging hog being shot with .45 auto 1911:

This hog is obviously one tough fuck but regarding this round issue it doesn’t really matter. The premise of all shooting and lethal shots guys is central nervous system and vital organs etc. we all know the rules and that’s day one stuff guys. A 22 can do the same as a 45 when hitting lethal targets. You get hit with a 45 in your foot you’re gonna be sucking but you’re still in the fight.

Obviously the individuals that question the capability of a .22WMR round have never delt with hogs on a daily basis. I have hunted and trapped hogs for over 13 years. The biggest hogs I’ve killed we’re well over 350lbs and they were all dropped with a single shot from a .22 Long Rifle. I’m willing to bet my life that a .22wmr will more than suffice.

I’d say that’s a very “do-able.” Like you, many see .22 and laugh but fail to consider the power behind this hot little round. Bullet proof vest will save you? Nope, .22 WMR will punch right through a vest and has about the same terminal energy as a .357 round.